The conspiracy theory writers have
repeatedly linked one powerful global elite, the Bilderberg Group,
with the ultimate take-over of the world. Members of the Bilderberg
together with their 'sister' organisations-the Trilateral Commission
(known also as the "Child of Bilderberg")(1) and the Council on
Foreign Relations(2)-are charged with the post-war take-over of the
democratic process. The measures implemented by this group so far
prove the control of the world economy through indirect political
means.

The constitution of several democratic monarchies of the Western
Europe bans members of their royal families from playing an active
role in the political process. However, the Bilderberg meetings
provide this exact forum and platform for them.
"This unprecedented period of European cooperation is more than a
product of simple nation-state diplomacy. One of the key institutions
that has fostered unity and cooperation with the Atlantic Community
beyond the old concepts has been the Bilderberg Group."(3)
"I tell you frankly that I am deeply alarmed today over the
possibility that a right-wing reaction may draw some sections of
capital so far away from our traditions as to imperil the entire
structure of American life as we know it."(4)

These comments by Pasymowski and Gilbert(3) two decades ago may
seem out of phase with the current events in former Yugoslavia, but,
in terms of the continued stability of the "European State", they
have proven to be largely accurate. Warfare has been removed from the
intra-European systems as a means of controlling and directing
nationalistic goals and ideas. Even in the case of former Yugoslavia,
one observes that the current state of war has resulted from Tito's
and the Soviet Union's demise. Consequently, the lid has been lifted
on rivals and racial memories which had been artificially kept in
place for previous decades. The several proto-states which make up
the former Yugoslavia were not part of the economic and social
development programs which evolved in Western Europe. As we would
see, the way in which the rest of Europe evolved and developed was
very different, and for very particular reasons.

Whether co-incidence or not, it is equally ironic that the current
Chairman of the Bilderberg, Lord Carrington, was the first
UN-appointed representative to bring peace to the war-torn
Yugoslavia.

ORIGINSThe single most important personality connected with the birth
and creation of the Bilderberg Group is Joseph H. Retinger (also
known as L'Eminence-His Grey Eminence). Retinger had a colourful,
lifelong career that raised him to the top of the world power
élites. At his funeral in 1960, Sir Edward Bedington-Behrens
said:
"I remember Retinger in the United States picking up the telephone
and immediately making an appointment with the President, and in
Europe he had complete entrée in every political circle as a
kind of right acquired through trust, devotion and loyalty he
inspired."

Retinger, as a Catholic, was viewed by many as an agent of the
Vatican, acting in liaison between the Pope and the Father-General of
the Jesuit order.

One of Retinger's renowned achievements in European politics was
the founding of the European Movement, leading to the establishment
of the Council of Europe on 5th May 1949. With its headquarters in
Strasbourg, the Council Executive Committee provided Retinger his
first major platform for his expansive ideology. From his earlier
days at the Sorbonne, Retinger believed in greater European unity,
both in military and economic terms. It was also at the same time
when his interest in the guidance of the Jesuit order manifested
itself. He spent a great deal of his time fulfilling these ambitions.
He suggested to Premier Georges Clemenceau a plan to unite Eastern
Europe-involving the merging of Austria, Hungary and Poland as a
tripartite monarchy under the guidance of the Jesuit order.
Clemenceau, doubtful of the Vatican-inspired plan, rejected
Retinger's proposal outright. This plan labelled Retinger,
thereafter, as a Vatican agent.

Retinger's activities were not limited to uniting Europe. Through
his several trips to Mexico he played a key role in the creation of a
trade union movement in the 1920s. Due to his unprecedented success,
and by gaining the Mexican Government's trust, Retinger convinced
them to nationalise the US oil interest in Mexico. In the process,
Retinger conducted the secret negotiations with Washington for the
Mexican Government.

Retinger also had an active war career. He was the political aide
to General Sikorski, and served for the London-based Polish
Government-in-exile. In addition, at the age of 58, he parachuted
into German-occupied territory outside Warsaw for some sabotage
missions.

Due to his high-profile career, in the 1950s he was able to create
contacts with numerous high-ranking military officials and political
leaders. His main aim was to unite the world in peace. His peace
dividend was to be under the control of supernational, powerful
organisations. He believed that such organisations would be immune
from short-term ideological conflicts erupting between governments.
To Retinger, it was insignificant what dominated the economic
ideology of a country. He believed these differences could be brought
into line by powerful multinational organisations dictating and
applying powerful economic and military policies, thereby creating a
union and a bond between the nations.

Retinger's personal 'left-wing' views from his heady days
convinced him that many leaders of newly born socialist and communist
nations would be prepared to talk to him. Additionally, his Church
background gave him an arena for dialogue with people from the
middle-ground connections in international relations.

Nevertheless, Retinger knew that control of the world affairs
cannot be achieved without US participation. In pursuit of this
ideology, he began a campaign for the creation of an Atlantic
Community. This would make the development of Europe an important
political aim for the American politicians, thereby preventing their
retreat into political isolation.

Retinger, with this in mind, set out his carefully calculated move
by involving one of his close and powerful friends, Prince Bernhard
of the Netherlands. Prince Bernhard, at the time, was an important
figure in the oil industry and held a major position in Royal Dutch
Petroleum (Shell Oil), as well as Société
Générale de Belgique-a powerful global corporation.

In 1952 Retinger approached Bernhard with a proposal for a secret
conference to involve the NATO leaders in an open and frank
discussion on international affairs behind closed doors. The meeting
would allow each participant to speak his mind freely because no
media representative would be permitted inside; nor would there be
any news bulletin about the meeting or the topics discussed.
Furthermore, if any leaks occurred, the journalists would be
discouraged from writing about it.

Prince Bernhard fully supported Retinger's proposal for an
international meeting. Consequently, they formed a committee to
organise a plan. In 1952, Bernhard approached the Truman
administration and briefed them about the meeting. Despite a positive
reception, it was not until the Eisenhower administration when the
first American counterpart group was formed. The two key role-players
in the US group were General Walter Bedell Smith (Director of the
CIA) and C. D. Jackson. Both (European-American) groups working
interactively set out to fulfil Retinger's initial plan. From the
outset, the American group was heavily influenced by the Rockefeller
family, the owners of Standard Oil-competitors of Bernhard's Royal
Dutch Petroleum. From then on, the Bilderberg business reflected the
concerns of the oil industry in its meetings.

According to Bilderberg's draft document of 1989:
"Bilderberg takes its name from the Bilderberg Hotel in
Oosterbeek, Holland, where the first meeting took place in May 1954.
That pioneering meeting grew out of the concern expressed by many
leading citizens on both sides of the Atlantic that Western Europe
and North America were not working together as closely as they should
on matters of critical importance. It was felt that regular,
off-the-record discussions would help create a better understanding
of the complex forces and major trends affecting Western nations in
the difficult post-war period."(5)

Retinger's main aim in creating Bilderberg had other more
important, inherent aspects than an informal gathering of a group of
the world's élite. It has been suggested that Bilderberg
meetings ultimately would have implemented group dynamics techniques
in the shape of a low- key international thinking group with the
purpose of sensitising the less enlightened of its membership towards
the new transitional diplomacy of the Cold War.

The first meeting witnessed the gathering of ideologies, poles
apart. The issue of McCarthyism was reaching its peak in the United
States. European participants, exasperated with the McCarthy
propaganda, saw in their American counterparts a clear political
shift towards an ultra-right-wing fascist state. Memories of World
War II still fresh in their minds, the Europeans found the concept
rather repulsive.

C. D. Jackson (a member of the CFR), in an attempt to regain the
international delegates' confidence, stated:
"Whether McCarthy dies by an assassin's bullet or is eliminated in
the normal American way of getting rid of boils on body politics, I
prophesy that by the time we hold our next meeting he will be gone
from the American scene."(6)

Nevertheless, McCarthyism proved to be a source of embarrassment
for the US delegate.

OTHER GROUPSThe concept of Bilderberg was not new. Although similar groups
were already in existence at the time, none attracted and provoked
global myths the way Bilderberg has.

Groups such as Bohemian Grove, established in 1872 by San
Franciscans, played an equally significant role in shaping post-war
politics in the US.
"It was at the Grove, it is said, that the Manhattan Project was
set up and that Eisenhower was selected as the Republicans' candidate
for 1952."(7)

The Ditchley Park Foundation was established in 1953 in Britain
with the same aim.(8)

Two years earlier, in 1952, Britain's Field Marshal Bernard
Montgomery had suggested the idea of a NATO command-post exercise (a
paper drill; no movement of forces) to train army divisional
commanders. General Eisenhower, who was then NATO's European
Commander, accepted it. As a result, the Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers in Europe Exercise-SHAPEX-was created. Ever since, an annual
meeting has been held in SHAPE headquarters near Mons, Belgium, and
the subject has been broadened to incorporate a wide array of topics.

The historical review of these groups reflects a sudden
flourishing trend, and the realisation by the world's leaders of the
need for creation of, at times, such overt concepts. The idea of
establishing such élite groups did not die with the birth of
Bilderberg.

In 1957, the first of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World
Affairs took place.9 Pandit Nehru offered to host the first meeting.
The founder members were personalities such as Bertrand Russell and
Albert Einstein. Scientists from the United States and Soviet Union
were regular participants in this East-West gathering of
élites. Britain is known for its active participation and role
in this group.
"The best feature of Pugwash is that it brings together people
from East, West and non-aligned countries."(9)

Pugwash proved particularly valuable at the time when the relation
between East and West was at a stalemate. Many significant topics
were discussed in this forum. Ways of monitoring arms control
agreements, nuclear disarmament, and reduction of East-West tensions
were always on the top of the agenda. In the 1970s Pugwash embraced a
range of issues including biological, chemical and conventional arms
control, environment and development problems as well as conflicts
around the world.

One of the latest groups is the Williamsburg, better known as the
Asian Window. Its first meeting was financed by the late John D.
Rockefeller in 1971, and continues to date. It brings together the
Asian leaders and the Americans. Williamsburg has been particularly
effective for discussing Vietnam, or the Indonesian corruption, or
supposedly non-existent Japanese exchange controls. Different
experiences of trade with China and Russia, or how Singapore has a
lower infant mortality than America, have been some of the topics in
the Williamsburg forum.

Nonetheless, none of these groups-including the Council on Foreign
Relations and the Trilaterals-commands the influence the Bilderberg
has obtained in shaping and dictating global policies.

CHAIRMAN"The first [Bilderberg] meeting was convened under the
chairmanship of H. R. H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who
served as chairman for twenty-two years. He was succeeded by Lord
Home of the Hirsel, former Prime Minister for the United Kingdom, who
chaired the meetings for four years. At the 1980 meeting, Lord Home
turned over the chairmanship to Walter Scheel, former President of
the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1985, Mr Scheel resigned, and was
succeeded by Lord Roll of Ipsden, President of S. G. Warburg Group
plc. At 1989 meeting, Lord Roll turned over the chairmanship to Lord
Carrington,"(10) who still chairs the meetings.

CHARACTER OF BILDERBERG MEETINGS"What is unique about Bilderberg as a forum is (1) the broad
cross-section of leading citizens, in and out of government, that are
assembled for nearly three days of informal discussion about topics
of current concern especially in the fields of foreign affairs and
the international economy; (2) the strong feeling among participants
that, in view of the differing attitudes and experiences of the
Western nations, there is a clear need to develop an understanding in
which these concerns can be accommodated; and (3) the privacy of
these meetings, which has no purpose other than to allow leading
citizens to speak their minds openly and freely.

"In short, Bilderberg is a recognised, flexible and informal
international leadership forum in which different viewpoints can be
expressed and mutual understanding enhanced."(11)

In further recognition of this aspect, Paddy Ashdown, the Leader
of the Liberal Party and a participant in the 1989 Bilderberg
meeting, wrote to me:

"In view of the recent events right across Europe, this has
turned out to have been an exceptionally useful opportunity to meet
and discuss with many of the most expert people in the world on
international relations. I found it a very stimulating and
informative gathering."(12)

But others, such as Prince Charles, Lord Callaghan and Sir Edward
Heath, were rather shy in their responses.(13)

PARTICIPANTSThere are usually 115 participants in each annual meeting. Eighty
are from Western Europe and the remainder from North America. From
this mixture, one-third are from government and politics, and the
remaining two-thirds from industry, finance, education and
communications. All the participants claim to attend the meeting in
their private capacity and not as officials-though this claim, in the
wake of the outcome of subsequent meetings, has proven to be highly
questionable.

Participants are invited to the Bilderberg meeting by the
Chairman, following his consultations and recommendations by the
Steering Committee membership, the Advisory Group and the Honorary
Secretaries-General. This approach ensures a full, informed and
balanced discussion of the agenda items. The individuals are chosen
based on their knowledge, standing and experience. The previous
participants maintain that, at the meetings, no resolutions are
proposed, no votes are taken and no policy statements are made.

FUNDINGThe costs of the annual meetings are usually the responsibility
of the Steering Committee members of the host country. But, the
expenses of maintaining the Bilderberg meetings are covered entirely
by private subscriptions. Although the meeting reports are published,
nevertheless they are strictly for the participating members only. No
reports are made available to the media.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
Members' Steering Committee:

Chairman: Peter, Lord Carrington-Chairman of the Board,
Christie's International plc; Former Secretary-General NATO.

Secretary-General for Europe and Canada: Victor
Halberstadt-Professor of Public Economics, Leiden University, the
Netherlands.

Secretary General for USA: Theodore L. Elliot, Jr-Dean
Emeritus, The Fletcher School of Law &AMP; Diplomacy; Former US
Ambassador.

Though the entire topics of the Bilderberg meetings since its
establishment are known to me, listing these topics would occupy
several pages, which is not within the scope of this writing.
However, I should perhaps include herewith the topics of the first
meeting (1954) and the 1992 meeting which, in themselves, provide an
insight into the evolution of this group, the Bilderberg.

29-31 May 1954:Oosterbeek, Netherlands A. The
attitude towards communism and the Soviet Union.
B. The attitude towards dependent areas and people overseas.
C. The attitude towards economic policies and problems.
D. The attitude towards European integration and the European Defence
Community.

21-24 May 1992: Evian-les-Bains, France A. Prospects for
the former Soviet republics.
B. What should be done for Eastern Europe?
C. Whither the United States?
D. The world economy.
E. Whither Europe?
F. Soviet Union: the view from Moscow.
G. The migration issue.
H. The evolving west/west relationship.

Footnotes:1. The issue concerning the history and the activities of the
Trilateral Commission is a separate one to be dealt with in another
paper.
2. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) requires separate attention
which I would discuss in another paper. However, I should add that
the CFR does not accept non-US members.
3. Pasymowski, Eugene and Carl Gilbert, Bilderberg: The Cold War
Internationale, 1971.
4. Charles E. Wilson, addressing the National Association of
Manufacturers in 1946.
5. Extract from a Bilderberg document. This document was given to the
author, prior to its official publication, by one of the members of
the Bilderberg Group. Later on, an official format was also provided
to the author by another member, which proved the authenticity of the
record in point.
6. Hatch, Alden, H. R. H. Bernhard, Prince of the Netherlands,
1962.
7. "Our Good Conference Guide", The Economist, December
1987.
8. The issue concerning the Ditchley Foundation requires a separate
paper. For many years I have been studying this Foundation and have
had the opportunity of discussing its achievements, goals and
missions with several of its members and invited participants.
9. Op. cit., 7.
10. Bilderberg Meetings, 1989, p. 1 (Bilderberg record).
11. Op. cit. 5, p. 1.
12. Letter from Paddy Ashdown, Leader of the Liberal Party, dated 3
January 1990, to the author.
13. Former Prime Minister Lord Callaghan's letter of 19 October 1989,
to the author. Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath's letter of 1
November 1989, to the author. Letter of 30 October 1989 from St
James's Palace, to the author. Prince Charles participated in the
1986 Bilderberg annual meeting held in Scotland.